While the media has mentioned stories about Food Stamp issues,
most recently with lottery winners,
there is also the issue with allowing people on Food Stamps to buy fast food
and also to buy luxury items which not all tax payers can afford.
This abuse is the lack of the system being changed amount to Fraud on the part
of the government since tax payers are being told that Food Stamps is to help
people and then when a person abuses the system,
it is only the person which is blamed,
not the system.

Food Stamps for Lottery Millionaires

There have been recent reports in the Media about people who win millions,
but still get food stamps:

LANSING, Mich. - The luck of Leroy Fick, Michigan's 59-year-old "Food Stamp
Millionaire" - a lottery winner on government food assistance - appeared to be
running out Wednesday as state officials worked to get him off the dole.

A Michigan millionaire collected food stamps after winning the lottery. "Amanda
Clayton, a 24-year-old from Lincoln Park, Michigan . . . is getting away with
it," reported the Daily Caller in a recent story. "Clayton won $1 million from
the Michigan State Lottery this fall, but she is still collecting and using
$200 a month in food assistance from the taxpayers with her Michigan Bridge
Card.

A millionaire on food stamps living in a $1.2 million lakefront home was also
receiving various other types of public aid. Although she claimed to report
everything to her case worker, a different story unfolded when federal agents
raided the home.

Do a search for "food stamp millionaire" and you will find other stories.
But that is not the REAL FRAUD.

Food Stamps for Luxury Items

The real fraud is that the government is taking money from tax payers and
allowing this broken system to continue.
It is not just about those who won the lottery and still get food stamps,
it is about the lack of oversight in the whole program.
The fact that there are those who have money,
but still get food stamps is just one issue.
The other issue is failure of the food stamp program to limit participants to
non-luxury food only.

People on food stamps should not be able to buy luxury food items,
such as lobster tails and steaks:

The system should be changed so that those on public aid are limited to
non-luxury items.
This is the Fraud that the government is playing on the tax payers and this
something that they don't want you to know or think about.
When such things are brought up,
the blame is placed on the person,
not the system which is the real problem.

Food Stamps for Fast Food

While it is a good concept to help people who need help,
it is bad to create a system while allows for abuse.
This abuse includes allowing use for fast food,
which is a luxury.
If there are some people who are homeless or can't cook food,
then allow only those to get pre-cooked food or provide a place where they can
get food.

Just when I thought I'd heard it all, now fast food restaurants want
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to be eligible to use
their food stamp benefit at selected restaurants. Restaurants such as Taco
Bell, KFC and Subway believe that there are certain types of SNAP recipients
who are homeless or living in conditions that do not allow them hot meals and
these people would benefit from being able to use their food benefit at fast
food restaurants.